Acceptance

While I was walking in the redwood forest this morning, I stopped and stood watching a bird on a branch. The bird was watching me right back. I felt a message come to me...stand here and open yourself to loving this bird. Instead of what I expected to happen, a feeling of warmth and contentment, I held back. I felt my heart blocked. I wondered, what is preventing me from loving this bird? I heard, you hold back from loving freely because as a child you expereinced that it is not safe to be that open. You loved and what you loved left you. I stared at the bird and practiced loving knowing that he would fly away at any moment.  I practiced accepting change, letting go of what I think I need to be safe in order for me to open to love. Do I need things to be different than they are to be Okay? No. I am understanding that I can love what is.